Data Notes for the Week of January 20, 2022

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You can find past issues on our data and dashboard page. The data below are from January 3-January16.

The WI Department of Health Services (DHS) has implemented a new process to auto-import positive test results from the “staging” area in the statewide data system, WEDSS. Before this new process, we included cases from staging in our case counts, but DHS did not, causing a discrepancy between the two. We assign cases to the date of their positive test result, while DHS assigns cases to the date they were processed out of staging. Therefore, DHS, and other sources who use their data will show more elevated case numbers for Dane County over the past week than what our data shows, and lower case numbers for the couple of weeks before that. Going forward, our case counts should much more closely match what DHS reports.

Cases were high but stable during this 14-day period with an average of 1,407 cases per day.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID in Dane County hospitals was also high but stable with an average of 190 people hospitalized each day. Percent positivity was 20.6% and an average of 6,830 tests were conducted per day.

A high percent positivity means we are likely missing cases in our case counts. If you need a test, same day appointments are often available at the Alliant Energy Center. Visit our testing page to make an appointment and pre-register.

In December 2021, a person not fully vaccinated in Dane County was 7 times more likely to test positive for COVID, 57 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID, and 58 times more likely to die from COVID than a person fully vaccinated with a booster or additional dose.

A person vaccinated with the primary series only (vaccinated, but not boosted) was 3 times more likely to test positive for COVID, 10 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID, and 11 times more likely to die from COVID than a person fully vaccinated with a booster or additional dose.

60.8% of fully vaccinated people in Dane County have gotten a booster or additional dose.

64.3% of fully vaccinated people ages 12+ and 84.8% of fully vaccinated people ages 65+ have received a booster/additional dose. It is vital to be up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations for the best protection from severe outcomes. If you still need your booster, visit our website to get an appointment at a clinic or find a mobile vaccine clinic near you.

81.6% of all Dane County residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and 76.7% have completed the primary vaccine series. 86.2% of the eligible Dane County population (ages 5+) have received at least one dose of vaccine and 81.0% have completed the primary vaccine series.